Rocking chair



g- 29, 1967 CHANG JUNG-SHIEN 3,338,625

ROCKING CHAIR Filed May 24, 1 965 CHA N6 JUNG-SHIEN INVENTOR.

BY'MM FIG. 4 A ATTY.

United States Patent 07 3,338,625 ROCKING CHAIR Chang Jung-Shien, Taipei, Taiwan, assignor to F Jung Enterprises, Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 457,983 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-18) This invention relates to a rocking chair and the like. A chair without the well known runners or lateral elongated curved support'pie'ces which are common to ordinary rocking chairs. The chair of this invention may have or not have arms or a canopy, but for the sake of greater comfort, such arms and canopies may be provided.

The construction of this novel chair, to make it a rocker, is based on the principles of leverage and structural balance. Two principal rectangular-like frames are employed and placed across each other in a manner that they can be nested together when folded, but the frames are not attached to each other nor {pivoted at' their "cross points. However, the frames are indirectly attached and safely braced so as to present the firmness desired in rocking chairs. The intersected frames can swing or sway forwards and backwards and also to some degree sidewise as well. The chair of this invention is so balanced in accordance with its load weight, and with respect to strength and distance of its supports, which are well calculated, that the chair becomes a universal rocking chair of portability and comfort.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a rocking type of chair with forward and rearward rocking action as well as side rocking action.

Another object is to present a rocking chair and the like with a two-way rocking action, that is, longitudinally to and fro and cross-Wise side-to-side, and in combination with an extendable footrest.

Still another object is to provide a rocking chair with novel features that is economical to make and manufacture and which has a wide market.

Other objects and teachings of this invention will become apparent upon perusal of the specification and drawmgs.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rocker type chair having the footrest portion thereof extended;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the chair in a folded condition, but without showing the body supporting fabric;

FIG. 3 is a plan View thereof in folded condition, but with the frame in a somewhat greater diameter and without the body supporting fabric;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated. In this particular form, as shown, there are two cross means, units or frames 1 and 2 and which are the main support of the entire rocker or chair. The frame 1 consists of a pair of U-shaped frames having the legs 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, respectively; the lower frame having the integral nicely curved ground runner or member 7 and the upper frame having the member 8 which joins the legs 5 and 6 together. An additional cross-bar or member 9 is provided to accommodate and hold one end of a looped body supporting fabric 10; this fabric forming a seat and a backrest. These two U-shaped frames have their legs 3 and 5 joined to each other by a coupling means 11 and the other legs 4 and 6 are joined together by the coupling means 12, as shown. In this particular case, each coupling means is a short hollow tube means with an internal diameter large enough to snugly recive its respective connecting legs and to which the tube is soldered, welded or brazed or otherwise secured to each other.

Patented Aug. 29,1967

ice

The other cross member or frame 2 has the side legs 13 and 14 joined to end rod or tube members 15 and 16. A cross-bar fabric holder means 17 is provided. The end member 15 is provided with a slightly conical roller member 18 which is adapted to roll along the surface of the ground or floor of a patio etc. Frames 1 and 2 are not directly pivoted to one another and certainly not at the cross points indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.

The two frames 1 and 2 are connected together at their bottoms only by the side tie rods 19 and 20. The rod 19 has one end pivoted to the lower inner side of the leg 4 at a and the other end pivoted to the outer side.of leg 14 at b. The tie rod 20 has one end pivoted to the lower outer side of the leg 13 at d.

Another U-shaped frame 21 has the pair of legs 22 and 23 connected together by an integral rod or cross-bar 24. In order to firmly hold and strongly support the fabric 10, this frame has the additional cross-bar 25. The distal ends of this frame are pivoted to the coupling members 11 and 12 as indicated at e and respectively. Note, that pivots g and h are provided to join frame 15 to the frame 21 at the points shown.

A slide-on type of cap or cover means 26 is shown in FIG. 1 and it is employed to hold the frame members together when in folded condition and if padded, this cover can also serve as a pillow as shown. Obviously, any other suitable head pad or pillow may be provided.

Since there is no connection at the points indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1, the frames 1 and 2 can freely swing or rock longitudinally of the chair in a special manner, that is, the legs 3 and 4 slip by their respective neighbor legs 13 and 14 as the chair is rocked. The only pivot points employed are the ones indicated by the reference characters a to h inclusive.

Because of the roller 18 and the curved frame member 7, the chair can be rocked sideways to a limited distance. The balance of the chair is such that the chair gives the user thereof a secure feeling with real rest and comfort. Little effort is required to rock the chair forward and backward and from left to right. Also, the chair can be rocked in a somewhat circular path. By employing a set screw, not shown, the legs 5 and 6 may be adjustable in the couplings 11 and 12 and in this manner the canvas or fabric 10 could be adjusted as to tightness. Also, because of the closeness of the bars 1617 and 89, the ends of the fabric 10 can be twisted about them and held in adjustment by inserting a bar or tube x through a looped end of the fabric. By making the tube x larger, the fabric is made tighter.

The legs 22 and 23 are hollow tubes designed to accommodate the legs 27 and 28 of a footrest device indicated in general at 29. The outer ends of the footrest legs 27 and 28 are joined together by the pair of cross-bars 30 and 31, as shown. These cross-bars provide a support means for a fabric 32, which may be padded, to serve as a suitable footrest. When the footrest is not in use, it is slid against the bar 16. Any suitable catch means may be employed to prevent the footrest from being accidentally slid entirely out of the tubes 22 and 23. All the frame members may be made of steel rods and/ or tubes or aluminum rods and tubes for the sake of lightness. Obviously, when aluminum is used, the frame members would have a greater cross-section for strength.

Certain novel features and details of this invention are disclosed herein, and in some cases in considerable detail, in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention, as disclosed, is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details disclosed since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rocking chair having a first frame comprising spaced apart elongated side legs joined at the top by a top cross member and joined at the bottom by a bottom cross member which is in a loop-like form, a second frame comprising spaced apart elongated side legs joined at the top by a top cross member and at the bottom by a bottom cross member which is provided with curved roller means so that the frame can rock side ways, a third frame comprising spaced apart side legs having forward ends thereof joined together by a cross member and which is pivoted to the top end of the second frame, tie rod means along the sides of the first and second frames near the lower portions thereof and the ends of the rods having pivot connection with the frames, and a flexible seat means in strip form having its top end fixed to the top of the first frame and its bottom end fixed to the top of the second frame.

2. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein the first frame is a fabrication of a pair of U-shaped frames having their legs ends jointed together by an adjustable coupling means.

3. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein the top cross member of the first and second frames consists of a pair of parallel rods so that the ends of the seat means can be more securely fixed in position.

4. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein the top end of the first frame is provided with a slip-0n cover which acts as a pillow when the chair is expanded and acts as a clamp means when the chair is folded.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROCKING CHAIR HAVING A FIRST FRAME COMPRISING SPACED APART ELONGATED SIDE LEGS JOINED AT THE TOP BY A TOP CROSS MEMBER AND JOINED AT THE BOTTOM BY A BOTTOM CROSS MEMBER WHICH IS IN A LOOP-LIKE FORM, A SECOND FRAME COMPRISING SPACED APART ELONGATED SIDE LEGS JOINED AT THE TOP BY A TOP CROSS MEMBER AND AT THE BOTTOM BY A BOTTOM CROSS MEMBER WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH CURVED ROLLER MEANS SO THAT THE FRAME CAN ROCK SIDE WAYS, A THIRD FRAME COMPRISING SPACED APART SIDE LEGS HAVING FORWARD ENDS THEREOF 